This is an eclectic blog in which I discuss whatever in the world happens to be on my mind today.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The merry band of haters marches on

Brace yourself. The execrable Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church are planning a new outrage.

Not satisfied with disrupting the funerals of military personnel with their hate-filled signs and slogans, they are now planning to use their tactics to crash the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards on Saturday. Edwards died earlier this week after a long and valiant battle with breast cancer.

The "Christians" of Westboro Baptist plan to display signs saying "Thank God for breast cancer" and similar slogans. They will be shouting sentiments such as "Elizabeth Edwards is in hell" and just generally doing their best to make this miserable day for her children, family and friends even more miserable. Those who cared for Edwards are now working to organize a counter-protest that will keep these people as far away from the mourners as possible, as has been done recently in other places where Phelps' band has appeared.

I can't begin to fathom what motivates people like this, other than the desire for notoriety, but I must admit I take some comfort in the fact that they, too, one day will die. Perhaps some of them will even die of cancer. I wonder if, as they lie dying, they will remember and reflect upon the time when they carried a sign reading, "Thank God for breast cancer."

I am willing to bet that, in fact, Elizabeth Edwards is not in hell. I suspect that the Westboro crew will some day learn that first hand.